Kitten
by Pyroluminescence
Summary: After being ordered to accompany him on a simple mission, Edward and Maes are forced to reconsider everything they thought they knew about the Colonel... With some help from a very special kitten. parental!RoyEd, mild HughesxRoy and HughesxEd
1. Soft Spot

**A/N: **This story will contain mild slash, as I said. It's not until much later on, so if you read stories for the story, you should be good to go. If you read stories for boys kissing, you might have to wait a bit. This isn't a "slashfic" – it's more of a general friendship/mild angst – but it does contain slash. As I specified, hints of HughesxEd and HughesxRoy. Mostly, though, the main focus is parental!RoyEd. Just thought I'd give a heads up. ;)

That aside, I hope my horrid writing doesn't kill your brain. (:

* * *

_"True strength lies in submission which permits one to dedicate his life, through devotion, to something beyond himself."_ – Henry Miller

* * *

_It was almost noble, he supposed, to end up where he did. _

_Clutching his side desperately, he sank further down the wall, painting it with thick streaks of blood. He gave a small grimace as his legs continued to provide him with questionable support, head spinning, his mind settling somewhere on the outskirts of fainting, threatening to let him go at any moment._

_He'd lost too much blood already. It felt like all he could feel was blood - wet, sticky warmth slicking his hair against his face and plastering his clothes to his ravaged body. The metallic taste was no longer a discomfort so much as another thing his body had grown accustomed to enduring. This wasn't particularly unsettling, so much as how he'd come to be in this position. _

_So much for their mission. He'd just as soon die for someone else. Someone whom he hadn't grown up alongside and promised _everything _to. He'd die for a cause besides his own. After all he'd been through, all he'd _taken _from Alphonse, he was willing to die for the sake of saving a man he'd met along the way._

_It was noble, he reminded himself. He'd saved Hughes's life, after all… _

_His mind reeled again as he thought of everything. If he hadn't put off his going to Dublith… If he hadn't stayed with Hughes and grown that much more willing to do anything for the man he now loved. Maybe he wouldn't have wound up letting down the single most important person in his _life…

_And then, he smiled. Maybe it was true, what they said. You grow to accept it. If – or when – he died here, maybe the Colonel and Hughes could be there for his brother… He wished he could have some final message, a way to tell them. _

_But he didn't. And that was okay. Everything was okay. He would die to save someone he loved. And that certainly amounted to something._

_And who knew? He though blearily, his internal vision fading as soon as he lost all awareness of his body. Maybe Hughes would go on to push the Colonel to the top…_

_Maybe he smiled. Maybe he only wanted to. Or maybe he was merely happier. With the situation being what it was, it didn't take much for him to admit that he'd grown to love the Colonel, too._

_As all he knew began to fade into the tell-tale numbness and black, his final image was that of a glowing, healthy, golden-haired boy His copper eyes were bright and radiant - an ideal final vision to Edward - and he was happy and alive beside Hughes. Happy, alive and whole._

"I'm sorry, Alphonse…"

* * *

"Elysia! Joseph! Mindy! Over here!" Came the cry from the kitchen.

The three of them answered hastily, running to where they were summoned. The first two stopped directly in front of the man who summoned them and broke into an awkward military salute, while the third skidded on the floor, tripping over her shoes in her haste, and into them.

The result was a hailstorm of scrambling, kicking, biting, hair pulling, and crying. One could almost see the cloud of fury swirling around them – angry and howling - not unlike a hurricane.

Hughes dropped his spoon into the mixing bowl and quietly sighed before reaching down and yanking apart the two warring children.

"Come on, you two, knock it off! If you can't get along, then you can't have any cupcakes!"

Upon registering this, the two of them furiously nodded, the tears already drying on their reddened faces. Sometimes it paid to get to the point when it came to children. Bruised skin wasn't a big deal. A loss of cupcakes, on the other hand….

Off to the side, and now safe of the two fighting youngsters, the third child sat watching, wide eyed and very obviously amused.

"Are you hurt, Elysia!? Daddy's so sorry! C'mere, sweetie!"

Elysia cringed slightly as her father gave her a very big, very wet kiss on the forehead. "Daddddyyyy! I'm fine! They'we the ones who were fighting." She pointed an innocent, but somehow still accusing finger at the other two.

Some thirty minutes later, Maes had decided that his daughter was, indeed, fine, and resumed mixing, occasionally calling upon the three of them to deliver such things as eggs or milk.

Milk.

Edward, a quiet spectator in the madness that was Hughes' kitchen, held his nose and watched with a grimace as the man carefully measured and poured the damnable substance. All he could do was picture the stuff coming out of a cow's _udder. _Whose idea was it, anyways? Did someone just glance at the underside of a cow and think, "Hey, I should drink what comes out!"?

"Ed, could you throw this away for me?" Hughes asked, handing him the empty bottle.

Edward took a step back, growling, and posed himself, ready to _kill. _

Hughes yelped, as though something very sharp had just poked him in the rear. "Okay! Sorry!"

Edward gave a final growl of recognition and resumed his normal stance. Hughes turned away with a "Sheesh!"

Some people just didn't understand.

--

"Thanks for your help, kid," Hughes said as he gave the teenager's hair a gentle ruffle.

Ed didn't growl at this, though, from his expression, even Elysia could see that he _wanted _to.

"Stop treating me like I'm her age, dammit!" Edward grumbled, a faint flush appearing on his the tan of his cheeks.

Hughes sighed. "Trust me, Ed, I'm doing all I can to remember you're as young as you are."

Ed was suddenly, and quite unexpectedly met with citrine eyes smiling warmly at him. While the expression was comforting, and more than welcome in his irritated state, he was unsettled by an emotion to them that he couldn't place.

Not that he had ever been good at deciphering emotion – it was a whole world he knew nothing of. Winry would have to scream her lungs out and hurl a wrench or two before he understood she was _angry. _

But this, he understood, was something he had the capacity to place. It seemed familiar, somehow, the feeling he got from the Lieutenant Colonel's gaze. He wasn't sure if it was because he'd seen it before, or if it was simply something that just naturally _came _to him.

And then Edward realized he was overanalyzing the emotion he _thought _he saw expressed in someone's _eyes. _The realization was a lot more humbling than it out to have been. He nearly flushed deeper. _Sheesh. _What was wrong with him today?

Hughes straightened up, his normal composure returned, and burst into a grin. "Now that Elysia's friends are gone, the five of us can just have a nice, sit-down family dinner! I'm telling you, Edward, Gracia's going to be making the best roast beef you've ever eaten!"

Edward just smiled and nodded, his mind still engaged in thought – this one, slightly more logical.

'_Just what did he mean by that…? Doing all he can to remember I'm as young as I am…'_

The door flew open then, putting an abrupt halt to Ed's confused, half-formed thoughts, and he looked up to see a very familiar pair of shapes in the doorway.

"Broooooootherrrrrr!"

Alphonse stumbled in the door, hunched over, and ran in to stand behind the bewildered Hughes.

"Oh, so I'm too _small _to use as a human shield?!" Ed growled, turning his gaze back to the doorway, where a very irate-looking Colonel Mustang stood clutching the doorframe.

While the Colonel was usually quietly composed, he never masked his irritation easily. Right now, however, he didn't so much as try. From Al's desperate, hunched over form, and the three, perfectly spaced pink-red lines across the Colonel's cheek, Ed didn't need to ask any questions.

"Al…"

"Brother, please!"

"What's going on?" Hughes inquired, genuinely bewildered. Gracia had poked her head in, and while she knew better than to ask when it came to her boys, there was no doubt that she sure _wanted to._

"Al brought back another-"

"No! I swear I didn't! I left it outside!"

"Alphonse, that _beast _attacked me!" Roy hissed, stepping into the hall.

"You have to believe me, Colonel, sir!"

Hughes sighed, finally understanding what was going on. "Roy, calm down, you're scaring him."

"He's not scared for _himself, _dammit! I'm going to _kill _that thing - "

"Roy!"

It was Gracia who yelled this time, hands on her hips, obviously meaning business. "I don't want a cat in here anymore than you do, but you are _not allowed to_ - "

"Damn straight he's not!" Maes interjected.

"Uncle Roy's gonna kiww the kitty? No!"

"I wasn't _actually_ going to kill it, just get the damn thing out of him! It doesn't belong in the house, and more importantly, it could scratch his seal or - "

Hughes held up his hands, silently putting Roy's rant to an end. "Alphonse says he doesn't have a kitten inside him. He's telling the truth. I'll look in and check if you want."

At this, everyone quieted, silently deciding that this was the best solution. Al sighed and reached up, taking off his helmet, and knelt down to offer the Lieutenant Colonel a look inside.

Maes peered for a prolonged moment, searching, and then pulled his head back out, turning to their bemused audience.

"Al's telling the truth. He doesn't have anything inside him. Sheesh, Roy. Slow day at the office?" He shot an accusing glare at his best friend. Roy shrugged, unaffected. Maes sighed.

"From the looks of it, though, I think the kitten had an accident, Al. You might want to go upstairs and get cleaned up. Or put a litter box in there." Maes smirked, and Al hunched over and squeaked in embarrassment. "Y-Yes, sir!"

And then, in a voice only Maes could hear, a quiet "thank you, sir."

Al all but ran up the stairs, and as Ed prepared to follow him, he was yanked back by the hem of his jacket.

"Oh, no you don't, kid! You're helping Gracia with dinner! You, too, Roy!"

The two of them sighed, turning to face each other, for once in agreement. "Hughes is a slavedriver," Edward grumbled.

Roy sighed heavily. "Kid, you have no idea." He rubbed his temples and undid his jacket, throwing it haphazardly onto a chair behind him before following Ed into the kitchen.

Maes simply sighed as he turned to go upstairs, and as he turned the corner, broke out in a small, serene smile before pushing open the door to Ed and Al's temporary bedroom.

His smile extended as Alphonse walked up to him, and offered his hand to the small, furry package in the boy's hands.

"What can I say…? I've always had a soft spot for the little guys."

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I'd say I hope you enjoyed, but I'm not sure it's entirely enjoyable just yet. (: But it's off to a start, at least. I have a few more chapters written, so hopefully I'll be able to finish this before too long.


	2. Alchemic Murderer

The next day, Gracia woke up alone, her only company a small note on Maes's pillow

The next day, Gracia woke up alone in bed - her only company a small note on Maes's pillow. She sighed before sinking back down onto her own pillow, wishing she could have just a few more minutes' worth peace and comfort.

There was little comfort to be had, knowing the situation. It was unnerving - having Maes leave before he could say goodbye - but the years of emergencies and absences had numbed her to the surprise. They couldn't, however, numb her to the worry, and she bit her lip, thoughts of how tired her husband must be right now - going on as little sleep as he had – breaking through her usual calm. If anything could worry her, it was the well being of her family.

She got up slowly, slipping on her robe before tiptoeing downstairs, taking care in being quiet in case the kids – her kids - were asleep. As it was, Edward was curled up on the living room sofa, softly snoring, with a book still held loosely in his hand. Gracia smiled and pushed a strand of hair away from his forehead. She'd never seen him look so vulnerable, and frowned at the thought.

Her boys could take care of themselves… She was being ridiculous. She had no reason to think such things – the boys were safe. And they were strong. They'd come this far, after all.

As she poured herself a steaming mug of coffee in the kitchen, she heard the door open, and a small, tired smile spread across her features as the newly appeared figure swept over and held her in a tight, loving embrace.

"'Morning, sweetheart." Maes whispered before softly kissing her.

"Maes…" she whispered back, still smiling. "I was worried."

He gently nuzzled her cheek before pushing the hair away from her face and kissing her forehead. "You always worry."

She sighed, gently resting her head on his shoulder. "I do. And for good reason. You don't need to be running around all hours of the day and night. It's bad for your health, Maes. Look at Roy."

After quickly kissing her forehead, he gave her a grim smile. "I have. He was with us. It was pretty nasty. Alchemic murderer." Gracia winced, and he sighed.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to bring work home…. Dammit. I'm so used to talking with Roy about these things."

"Maes, sweetheart," Gracia whispered sternly, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I tell you almost every day. There's nothing you need to keep from me. I understand. And I took an oath to always be there for you. You can tell me anything. I don't know about Roy, but I'm pretty sure I can take it," She finished with a soft laugh.

Maes smiled, tenderly stroking her hair. "I know. I suppose it's just how I am." He gave a small, exhausted sigh. "How are the boys doing?"

"Edward sacked out on the couch, and I suppose Alphonse is still in their room…" Her mouth twisted in a small frown. "He kept Elysia up a little too late last night."

Maes responded with a small, throaty chuckle. "They make good playmates, don't they?" He gave his wife a pat on the back and another quick kiss before pulling back. "I can't stay home for long. I have calls to make, and we're going to be having a meeting to call in the State Alchemists." He rolled his eyes. "It's disgusting, but it has to be done. This one's pretty creative. I get a good feeling Roy's going to be calling our Fullmetal in."

Gracia sighed again, turning her head back towards the living room. "Hard to believe… And to think, if he'd gone off to Dublith like he'd planned, he wouldn't be in this mess."

He didn't need to say anything. They both knew. He'd made the choice, and his reason was good enough for them.

Maes headed in that direction, and Gracia followed, coffee cup in hand, and watched her husband as he knelt over the sleeping boy.

For once, Edward looked like he was not only young enough to be his age, but _younger_, sleep giving him an odd, serene illusion of innocence. But Edward wasn't innocent, and he'd long since given up all rights to childhood in order to fix what had robbed him of a child's innocence in the first place. It wasn't fair, and that was the way it was. Life wasn't fair. The crude saying was so brutally true that it made him grimace.

Maes didn't like being reminded. Edward Elric was still a child – he knew better than most – yet more and more, he thought of him as an _equal, _having to remind himself that no matter what his age or position, Ed _was _still a kid, but to think of just _why_ he was so beyond his years…

It wasn't fair.

He gave a small, inward sigh, and leaned in to gently kiss Ed's forehead. He smelled faintly sweet – unusual for the boy - Maes thought, and he smiled.

He could see why Roy loved the kid so much. Just another reason he needed to settle down and have kids of his own…

He tiptoed upstairs, gently nudging open the door to Al's room. Unsurprisingly, he found the boy "awake", and Alphonse beamed, looking brightly at him - at least, as brightly as armor could. "Lieutenant Colonel? Was everything okay?"

Hughes didn't respond immediately, instead sighing as he gently sat on the bed, and then smiled as he saw that he wasn't alone. It seemed as though a couple others in the house had decided to camp out in the boys' room last night.

"To be honest, Alphonse, it's pretty bad. We've got an alchemic murderer on our hands. His methods are unorthodox, but effective, and at this rate, it looks like we're going to be needing your brother. The military's getting all kinds of shit for this already. They're going to extreme lengths to keep the public quiet. Can't have any bad rap about the noble Amestrian military, can we?" Maes rolled his eyes and pressed his palm into his forehead.

"I'm sure Brother wouldn't mind. He's been dying for a little excitement. He keeps saying he regrets putting off going to see Teacher… Maybe it's not as bad as you think," Alphonse encouraged, ever optimistic.

A smile. "Maybe not, but it pays to be realistic. With freaks like this guy, it pays to be braced for the _worst_."

Al nodded solemnly. "Of course. Alchemy is one of the building blocks for all mankind. To help people… That's why alchemists exist. Anyone who could even think of using it to kill or harm people is just…" Al trailed off as Maes put a hand on his cold metal shoulder.

"I know, Al. We're dealing with a sick mind. But your brother can take care of himself. ….And this freak. While he's a talented alchemist, he's got nothing on your brother. He's witty, but when your intentions are bad, you can't get far. That's not the way the world works. When you take life, you pay the price." He gave another small smile to his surrogate son.

"You really believe that?" Al said. "I mean, that everyone who kills…"

"Not everyone," Hughes continued, "but people who kill for reasons that benefit their own personal gain. Be it wealth, power, _sport…_" He trailed off again. "The thing is, after a while, those who kill for those reasons die a different, far worse kind of death. And those who kill because they have to never, ever forget it." His expression was one Alphonse couldn't place, and despite the state of his body, he thought felt a small chill go through him.

"But, my brother…"

"Hopefully won't have to learn for a very long time."

A long silence.

"Mr. Hughes, have you ever killed anyone…?"

A small, solemn smile. "I think you know the answer to that, kid. Anyways…" He gave a small, inward sigh and glanced back down at the bed. "I don't think I should be talking about this in front of my daughter…"

Al made a small noise. "I'm sorry, sir! I didn't mean for her to fall asleep here, it just kind of _happened. _We were up late – sorry about that, too! – and next time I looked over, she was out."

Maes laughed very softly. "It's okay, Alphonse." His hand reached down and gently stroked back his daughter's hair. "She's happy with you. You're a very good older brother to her."

Al ducked his head slightly. "Thank you, sir."

"And this little guy…" He smiled, trailing his hand over to stroke the head of the bed's other, smaller, much furrier occupant.

The tiny kitten stretched its head and mewled in response.

"He's very friendly, sir."

"I can see that. Aww, he's purring…"

The kitten stood up, stretching its small body and yawning after sleeping comfortably on a surface other than grass or cardboard for the first time in who knew how long. It shook its hair – a beautiful pattern of amber, black and white– and started grooming itself, running a smooth tongue down patchy fur.

"You think he was on the street long?" Al asked, peering in to look.

Maes shrugged. "He's thin, and he's missing some fur, obviously – he's very pretty, by the way – but I think he's all right. You can ask around for directions to the pet store and get him some real food." He grimaced. "And a place to go to the bathroom…"

Al squeaked. "You know, if Brother finds out…"

Hughes's response started with a small smirk. "And why would your brother be against me keeping a kitten in my house, Alphonse?"

"You mean it? You mean you'll take him?" Al couldn't hide the joy in his voice.

"Of course. I don't know how it's going to be once we move back to Central, though…" He sighed. "Work moved me up here _because _of a damn alchemic murderer. And now we've got a new one…" He sighed again. "What is this, a cult?"

The kitten mewled loudly, as if he was joining Maes in his outrage.

"You said it…" Hughes grumbled, and then turned to face his still sleeping daughter.

"Sorry, sweetheart. Daddy promises he'll be back soon." Pushing back strands of blonde with his fingertips, he leaned in and gently kissed her forehead before breaking out in a smile.

"She's beautiful, isn't she, Alphonse?"

Al nodded. "I… kind of hope I have kids someday."

Maes broke into a bright smile. "You will, Alphonse. And you'll be saying to yourself, 'If this is life, then what have I been living?' It was as though I saw the sun for the first time! She was a radiant, shining force in my life, and I'm telling you, there's nothing sweeter in life than this little girl's smile! Which reminds me, did I show you last week's bedtime special? Elysia got these adorable PJs to match Mommy's!"

Al could only sigh.

--

Arrgh, this is starting out SOOOOO slow. I promise it'll get better soon! D8 But some things are unfolding, so I suppose you'll see next chapter? :D Thanks for reading! Please review – it really makes me happy, and I really love any kind of feedback I can get.


	3. Human Pillow

"Seriously, Colonel. _Seriously?_"

Ed drummed his fingers angrily on the table in front of him, glaring pointedly at his commanding officer.

"If I weren't serious, I wouldn't be wasting my time dealing with you. There's nothing quite like being sassed by someone you can't see from this height…"

"Dammit! You're not even standing up!"

"Are you standing up, Fullmetal? I can't tell."

"ARGH!"

"Will you two give it a rest?" Hughes grumbled from the doorway. "We've got a murderer on our hands. We don't need to do the damn comedy routine every time."

"Comedy?? You think this is funny, too?!"

"Honestly, Maes, I don't see how you think I'm _joking._"

A loud, exasperated sigh broke the soldiers' three-way argument. "Enough, sirs."

At the sound of Hawkeye's voice, both Edward and Roy straightened, while Hughes gave her a small, thankful smile.

"Edward, the Colonel has given you your mission. Talking back to him won't make things any easier on you, I'm afraid." She turned to the Colonel, staring hard through his expression of mock-innocence. "And sir, while I understand that giving him a hard time is fun for you, we need the two of you to be on good terms if we plan on getting this done."

Mustang sighed. "I know that, Hawkeye."

"Just making sure, sir."

Ed merely grumbled. "Why am I the Colonel's partner? Armstrong would work much better with him…"

The three other soldiers glanced at each other. "The Major isn't going to be joining your force. He's going to act as a stand-in in case one of you is down," Hawkeye explained. "The two of you, as it is, are the most-well suited to this particular assignment, and, regardless of how good of terms you're in, are expected to work together as well as any other combination of alchemists."

Ed nodded, still not entirely clear on the procedure. "So, basically, we're going to show up where we _think _this guy is, kick his ass, and try to bring him back alive?"

Mustang shrugged. "If you want to be that black and white about it, sure. But kid…"

Mustang's icy gaze met Edward's, and he hardened in his seat, staring back unwaveringly.

"While we're they're – if we get him – it's going to be a battlefield. He won't hesitate to kill any of us, and none of us are to show the same hesitation. People may die. As long as you're part of the battle, you're to act, think, and behave as a soldier. Do not show weakness, and be careful of who you trust with your back."

Ed's glare didn't waver. "I know that. If I'm going to battle, I'm not going as a child. Don't treat me like one, Mustang."

"It's standard, Fullmetal. Anyone who's never been in a proper battle has no idea what to expect. And this time, the enemy isn't yours - "

"What are you talking about?!" Ed shouted, slamming a fist down on the table. "_Anyone _who uses Alchemy to harm people is my enemy. I don't care if he's the State's enemy, too. When I kick his ass, it'll be for _me_, and all the people whose lives were taken by someone who calls himself an alchemist…!"

While his expression didn't soften, Hughes made out careful respect in the Colonel's gaze.

"All right, then. Oh, and you'll be needed this."

Ed blinked as the Colonel reached under his desk for something. He silently beckoned Ed forward with a wave of his hand, and handed him a familiar blue package.

"A uniform…?"

"It had to be custom-made, you know," Roy said with a smirk.

"Why?? Because I'm so SHORT?? Very funny!"

Roy shrugged. "Your height wasn't the issue. Some women in the military are smaller than you- "

"So now you're calling me a girl!"

"…but the dimensions of your body are unusual for your…. Height. That, and to allow you full motion of your automail without tearing it, the sleeves had to be custom-sized… With all the work put into it…"

"You must be pretty desperate to get me to wear it," Ed said stiffly.

The Colonel shrugged again. "Can't have you mistaken for an enemy and shot in battle, can we? This is a mark of your alignment."

Ed grumbled. "Won't that make me an easier target for the enemy?"

Mustang's glare intensified. "Yes, just like the rest of us will be. As far as its concerned to anyone on the field, those in blue uniforms are our allies, and even if I tell them, men act mostly on instinct. You'll be shot before the next time they blink, kid."

Ed sighed, half in annoyance, half in defeat. "Fine. Not a big deal, anyways."

Roy didn't respond to the poorly masked sadness in Ed's eyes as he unblushingly stripped down in front of the three of them and pulled on his new uniform. It was heavy, Ed thought, but surprisingly comfortable. He wordlessly put on the set of dogtags he was handed and stepped into a new pair of boots.

"These don't look like they're very good for battle…" Ed commented, eyeing his well-worn red-soled boots with longing. "And this _ass cape _makes me feel ridiculous."

"You get used to them. And hm. 'Ass cape'. That's a new one." Mustang shrugged one more time before giving Ed a clap on the shoulder.

"Transport will be here in a few minutes. You'll come with me to check on everyone's status."

"…Yes, sir," Ed grumbled, giving the Colonel a half-hearted salute.

--

It was a surprisingly long drive.

Fortunately, Ed had been place in a car with Mustang, Hawkeye, and Hughes, and Havoc had been appointed their driver. Mustang clearly knew how to get the little things to go in his favor.

Ed sighed and stared out the window. He'd slept terribly the night before. He'd considered sleeping in the guest room he'd been offered, but by the time he was ready to hit the hay, he'd been too worried about waking up Gracia, and had, somehow, winded up falling asleep with a _book _in his hand, rudely awakened a few hours later being told he was summoned…

The constant, almost even pattern of the roadside scenery was almost annoying, and, at any rate, boring him to tears. Green blurred into brown over and over, dotted by the steady stream of gray posts. Just how far out _were _they going…? He'd thought the guy was in the damn _city._ The regular sight was - along with the steady breathing of his comrades around him – lulling him to sleep. He was slowly aware of sinking down, eyelids drooping, and surrendering himself into a light, dreamless sleep.

Hughes smiled at Mustang, watching out of the corner of his eye as Roy's bemused expression softened, and he awkwardly placed an arm around Edward's shoulders. The kid had apparently found a comfortable spot on the Colonel's shoulder.

"Aw, Roy, didn't know you were cuddly…"

He didn't even flinch at Roy's _glare._

"He's tired, Hughes. That's all this is. I'm just a human pillow."

Hughes shrugged. "Yep. That's why you have an arm around him. Face it. You're starting to see why I love my little Elysia so much!"

A harder glare. "It's uncomfortable to hold my arm that way. Putting it on him just relieves the stress. Stop trying to make this into what it's not. The kid's my subordinate. Not my son. And I'm glad for that."

As if on cue, Ed stirred, adjusting his head against the Colonel. Roy immediately moved to accommodate Edward, almost pulling him closer.

The involuntary, or perhaps automatic reaction didn't go unnoticed by Maes. Roy very nearly flushed while Hughes smiled and leaned down to rest his head on his comrade's other shoulder.

The response was a gruff shove, but as soon as it became obvious that this would not be effective, Roy gave a sigh of defeat before turning his head to rest against Hughes'.

"Damn it…"

--

When Ed was woken up by the car's abrupt halt, he wasn't sure what to think. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes, trying to adjust to the light. He shook his head, groggy from his brief nap, and pieced together what was going on.

That's right. He was on his way into _battle. _And fell asleep. Damn it. And now they were stopped. He must have crashed against the Colonel's shoulder…

'_Wait…. Colonel's shoulder…!?'_

Ed bolted upright, face flushing rapidly as he realized he _had _fallen asleep against the Colonel. Damn it! No matter how tired he was, he'd _never _fall asleep against the bastard!

It took him a moment to realize that the Colonel's arm was around him, and he yelped before throwing it off, horrified.

Ed spotted a flash of black on the Colonel's face, and then another, before his eyes opened and he gave a simple, tired yawn. "You're awake."

"Y-You…!"

"Easy, kid, I think we're here."

It took him a moment to realize the Lieutenant Colonel had taken Mustang's other shoulder as his own temporary 'pillow'. Mustang was in the process of nudging him awake, and he was clearly opposed to the idea.

"Ugh. I feel like shit," Hughes commented simply, rubbing his forehead and pausing to re-adjust his glasses.

"Join the club," Ed grumbled.

"We _are _here, boss. You'd better get a move on," Havoc called from the driver's seat, already undoing his seatbelt. From the passenger's side, Hawkeye wordlessly opened the door and stepped out.

Ignoring them, Maes smiled at Edward. "Sleep well?"

Ed didn't respond, and instead growled before kicking the door open, the shock of having _cuddled _with someone he _hated _being more than enough to wake him up. Hughes and Mustang followed silently as they stepped in line to join their other comrades.

As it was, they had quite a few officers for the job. As if understanding Ed's question, Hughes spoke. "This guy's got friends. Not only that, but experience. We figure if we have the advantage of both skill _and _numbers, we'll be able to take him out with less chance of causalities."

Ed gave an loud "_hn_". "Since when does the military care who they have to send to their deaths?"

Hughes shrugged. "You and Mustang are precious State alchemists, kid. For the most part, all this backup is for you two. If it's going to take both of you to take care of some random murderer, they know they're dealing with heavy stuff. Hence why they're on their guard. Mustang's being most of it."

Still keeping his pace, Ed folded his hands in the pocket of his uniform. "When I heard we were dealing with a murderer, I thought it was Mustang trying to gain some credibility by doing what the MPs should have done. But… This is pretty big, isn't it?"

Mustang answered in place of Hughes. "Not yet, but it has the potential to be. He reminds us of a soldier we used to have back in Ishbal. Kimbley. He was an alchemist who killed for sport, to put it nicely. Up until then, homicidal maniacs with alchemy on their side weren't that great of a concern. But when we've seen what the _good _ones are capable of… And, what with the recent fiasco with Scar… It pays to be careful."

Hughes sighed. "He's a bit smarter than Kimbley, too. His methods were different each time. He disguised the last one as a suicide. Wrote a note, transmuted a rope to do its thing, and killed the guy in his sleep. Burned the array and everything."

Ed shrugged. "I've heard better."

Hughes gave a small smirk. "We'll all be briefed again before we head in. Since you and Mustang are leading, you're going to need to be prepared. I'm going to be sticking with communications unless I'm needed on the front lines. Hopefully, we won't need to go that far."

Mustang sighed. "I'd expect not. We're dealing with one man and a few goons."

"How do you know this is the guy, anyways?" Ed piped up. Their pace had slowed as they grew nearer to their comrades.

"We've been dealing with him for a few weeks, now. Hughes and Sheska traced a few of the killings back to an old gang of misfits who used alchemy in acts of rebellion against the State. Graffiti and the occasional assault, for the most part. The ringleader was identified and charged. My guess is he was taking his time to build up his strength and numbers before coming back. We're able to establish that he maintains a permanent residence around here," Roy explained, gesturing ahead.

"Yep. Sent in troops to confirm it. They saw them, all right. Thank god _they_ didn't see them." Hughes gave a heavy sigh. "Wish we'd had more time to brief you, kid, but your coming was a last-minute decision."

Ed growled. "I know."

By now, they had more-or-less joined their fellow soldiers, and Mustang stood up before them, Ed and Hughes at his sides.

Their force immediately broke into a salute, and Mustang stood up to address his troops.

Ed felt ridiculous, standing here, barely listening to the Colonel babble about the procedure. He heard his name several times, nodding when he was addressed, and impatiently shifted feet.

Damn it. He'd already heard what needed to be done, and he didn't need to hear it again. He was anxious, sitting still, not knowing what has going to happen, and having no idea where Al was right now.

Well, in East City, staying with Gracia, he knew, but the tension created by being away from his brother was an unwelcome burden on his ability to focus.

Finally, the order was given to move out. He gave the Lieutenant Colonel a quick, meaningful smile and a salute before turning to follow Mustang.

He and Mustang. Partners in war.

It wasn't the idea that he was working with one of his least favorite people that scared him so much as the idea that, maybe, Mustang wasn't one of his least favorite people.

* * *

I apologize for how sh--ty and short my chapters are. This thing really is total crap, but I have fun writing it, so I hope some out there enjoy reading. :) I didn't edit this as well, I don't think, so I'm sorry for any errors. OTL;; Thanks for reading. And, as always, I will beg and grovel for reviews. I have most of this thing roughed out, so expect me to keep updating. ...I think.


	4. Into Battle

AN: This is a complete piece of crap, but I need to update this fic. Sorry for the wait.

* * *

Ed sighed, trying his damndest just to _focus. _

Mustang gave him a small, encouraging clap on the shoulder. "The MPs have him surrounded. He's ready for a fight. He's not going peacefully."

He was about to be in _battle_. Alchemy, burning, destruction and gunfire… What was wrong with him? Why was it so hard to believe?

Interrogating himself had never ended well in the past. Ed rolled his eyes. Why was anything _anything_? If he'd expected one damned thing to make sense in any of this, he was fooling himself. Hoping to put his auto-argumentative side at ease, he glanced around, trying, in what seemed like an increasingly rare feat of intelligence, to actually see what was going on.

Aside from the number of soldiers posed for attack, surrounding their enemy's stronghold, it hardly felt like the preface to a battle. He'd been expecting the guys to just burst out, going against them with all they had…

If he wasn't going to go peacefully, why bother making them wait?

He got his answer.

"Get down!" He heard Mustang yell. In an instant, he felt Mustang's weight on top of him, his back turned to the battlefield behind him. Before he could ask what the _hell _was going on, every nerve in his body was jolted into response by the crackle and crash of a transmutation.

Ed sucked in his breath, feeling the tension in the air as the very world around him seemed to compact and then expand in an explosion of light and energy. His surprised cry was drown out by the sheer volume of the blast.

He could feel the shift in elements – the change and reconstruction, the force of the transmutation. He cried out again, desperate, still, to know what the _hell _was going on, but Mustang held him firmly down, holding his own body low so as to better conceal himself.

Before the dust could settle, his eardrums were pounded by the sound of gunfire. Shouting. The smell of sulfur and gunpowder assaulted his nostrils.

"Mustang!" He shouted, pushing desperately against the man. It only occurred to him that Mustang's position – besides restraining him – also served to shield him. The Colonel was…

The Colonel hunkered down still lower, seemingly unaffected by the dust, roar, and occasional debris of battle. "Stay down!" he yelled back, and then abruptly pushed to his feet, grabbing Edward by the wrist and dragging the startled teenager with him as he ran.

"Make up your mind!" Ed shouted. The Colonel's mouth gave an irritated twitch, and Ed nearly fell into him as he came to a sudden stop, pulling Edward with him, and hunkered down behind a thick, twisted gnarl of bramble.

"We're going in, Fullmetal. Get ready."

"Understood," Ed responded, his body reacting to the command on its own accord. He sat up straighter, heart pounding in his ears. Adrenaline seared through his veins, and his limbs seemed to tense. It was _enthralling. _Whatever doubts he'd had about the battlefield earlier where gone. He was ready to _fight. _He was ready to…

"Now!"

He didn't need to be told twice. He ran, falling into place beside Mustang. He saw their opening – a couple of confused-looking chums wielding handguns in front of a seriously pissed-looking alchemist…

He saw the crackle of energy, could feel the _heat _of alchemic power radiating from the figure. He spotted the array pendant – such a simple one, really – and in an instant, saw the flow of energy working to form the reaction.

_SNAP! _He'd forgotten how loud the Colonel's snap was. He felt the air around him once again compact and expand, and red streams of flame burst forward. He automatically shielded his face, wincing at the sudden burst of heat in his face.

The enemy clearly knew what he was up against. The array around his neck trembled and exploded into light in an instant. Hands reached up, and the reaction broke out with a loud _crash. _The instant before the two reactions cancelled each other out - which was merely an instant after the colonel had snapped his fingers - Ed's hands were on the ground, and a third burst of energy and a flash of blue light signaled a third transmutation. The resulting shaft of alchemic energy seemed to send vibrations down from the point of impact and up his limbs as it shot towards the enemy in a narrow shaft of light. Transmuted earth shot up as the light grew nearer to its target, and the reaction panned out, creating a shockwave of pure, unbridled _power._

He _loved _it. The entire world was at his fingertips – his for the alteration. Everything in front of him – everything! – was made of elements he could break down and reconstruct. The sheer power sent its own tiny shockwaves down his limbs – enthralling little sparks that seemed to work in sync with the adrenaline and _rush _pounding in every inch of his body.

He would _win. _He wanted to. He wanted to _fight. _He wanted to _destroy _this guy…

Another loud snap, and another burst of alchemic force. The flames didn't so much as bother Edward. He wanted to feel the heat on his skin. The air - altered to adhere to the wishes of its manipulator - forcing too-warm gusts into his face. He was _alive._

The blast was beautiful.

---

"Damn!" Hughes exclaimed, staring in wonder at the various displays of alchemy.

Beside him, Fuery hunkered down, looking as though he'd like nothing more than to cover his ears.

"Looks like the Colonel found his target. Shouldn't be long, now. The two of them can make short work of one alchemist," Fuery said, and while he looked fairly intimidated, there was no doubting his faith in his words.

"I'm no alchemist, but even if I were, I wouldn't want to cross paths with those two. I know what they're capable of…." Hughes grumbled, scratching his head.

While Hughes had known that calling in this many troops to take out one guy and what were likely to be inexperienced cronies was borderline unnecessary, it certainly paid to be careful. He wasn't an alchemist – never would understand it – but if Roy said that their enemy was capable of terrible things, he wasn't about to doubt him. Much as Roy seemed to love sending Edward off to do his bidding when it came to everything from fetching groceries ("This is an order, Fullmetal.") to having him investigate high-end alchemic mysteries reserved for the topmost alchemic minds in the state, he never wanted to send the kid into battle. His reasons for this reluctance varied ("He's not experienced in proper combat. The assessment match is no display of his skills on the field."), but for the most part, he denied any personal connection to his dislike for having the kid in open combat ("I'm his commanding officer, Lieutenant. I'm trying to think strategically. This would be better suited for the Red Wood. She's had experience.").

For Roy to bring another valued State alchemist – and one who, for whatever reason, he didn't want in proper combat – into battle with him was quite an undertaking. Even bringing the Major in…

Something didn't sit quite right with him. It was almost as though the Colonel knew something the rest of his bewildered men did not.

And then he sighed. Of _course _there was something behind all of this that Roy wasn't telling them. And while Maes could never doubt for a moment that his best friend's reasoning for this was logical, and that everything would work out with his careful planning, he wondered exactly where the Colonel himself would fit into it.

"You'd better not fuck up, buddy," he murmured under his breath, low enough so only he could hear.

- - -

As the dust settled, Edward's triumphant smirk spread into a small smile. Beside him, the Colonel stood, stoic and seemingly unaffected, albeit perhaps a little bemused.

"You suck," the young man said, rolling his eyes as though he'd been the subject of a practical joke. To the contrary, he was tightly encased in alchemically created bindings, completely helpless, and yet seemed almost entirely unconcerned. It continued the day's trend of things popping up that made no sense to Edward.

Mustang flinched. At what, Ed had no idea. Perhaps he was surprised by the guy's nerve. Whatever it was, the Colonel seemed to straighten, and turned to address the man.

"Chas. Seems like you're as bratty as ever."

It was Ed's turn to flinch. Did the Colonel _know _this guy…?

Well, obviously, if he could address him by name, but while Edward was used to surprises, this was getting a bit hard to wrap his head around (not that _that _was anything new). If this guy was their only threat – well, him and his useless grunts – then why did they need _three _State alchemists, not to mention an oddly high amount of troops, to take him down?

The man, apparently named Chas, simply gave a small snort. "Lay off, Colonel Dickweed. It's not like I was expecting to fight you. Ma gave me 'strict orders' not to, but then you come in threatening to fuckin' torch my ass."

The Colonel's mouth quirked up a small fraction. "So, _Chas_, how's your _ass_?"

A growl. "I thought the fact that my last name rhymed with _ass _had long since stopped being funny, dammit."

Ed was bewildered. They were talking on almost _friendly _terms. As though the life-or-death struggle they'd just went through were little more than a friendly sparring match.

"Colonel, what…" Ed started, utterly clueless.

The two of them seemed to acknowledge his presence then, and Chas gave another snort.

"Who's this? Your _boyfriend?_"

Not that he'd had much going for him in the first place, but Edward decided that he _hated _this guy, and let him know it with a firm kick in the ribs.

Judging by the responding cry, the military boots had _something _going for them.

"What, jealous?" Roy retorted, raising an eyebrow as Chas seethed, desperate to rub his side.

"Uh-huh, right. Yeah, I know _you're _some kind of crazy gay pedophile, but I don't go for little boys. OW! Dammit!"

"Who are you calling little?!" Edward all but screamed.

"More importantly, who are you wasting your time tastelessly calling a pedophile and smart-assing to when you should be telling me what the _hell _is going on!?"

A long, heavy sigh. "I don't know what you and your _boyfriend _are so hyped up about. It's not like I've done anything. If I'd known it was the _Flaming Alchemist, _I wouldn't have attacked."

"Would one of you mind telling me…!"

"Fullmetal, ease up," Roy commanded quietly, as though telling an annoying child to quiet down. It was infuriating. Question after question pounded Ed's mind, the burden of knowing _nothing _about the scene in front of him almost hurt him physically.

Roy reached down, and forcefully yanked Chas up by the collar. "Come on. Enough of this. You might get away with this bullshit around everybody else, but if you approach me as an enemy, kid or not, your behavior is going to be dealt with as though you were an adult. And in case you weren't already aware, adults get away with a lot less, kid."

Chas's glare only hardened, and then he snorted before rolling his eyes and blowing it off with a "whatever".

"Come on, idiot. Your partner – and I'm pretty sure that applies in ways outside the military sense – is just a friggin' little kid. Don't lecture me about being an adult when a friggin' little kid is in the military. What the _fuck. _Either I've forgetten what those epaulettes mean, or the kid's a _Major. _A State alchemist? Jesus Christ."

It took every single ounce of restraint Edward had not to pummel the older boy's face in.

"Actually, he's not much younger than you. Little over half a year, maybe. While most of the time, he's hardly more mature than you are, he at least puts _effort _into being an adult when he needs to."

While Edward wasn't sure if this was a compliment or _another _reason to put a fist in the bastard's face, he _was _sure that he hated being talked about while he was standing _right here…_

"You're kidding me! But… Damn… He's so _small. _I thought he was, like, _twelve…_"

Edward wasn't sure if he'd broken a rib this time, and he didn't really care. "Dammit! You can talk about this shit and leave me out of the loop, call me _gay _for whatever fucking reason, and piss me off a different way everytime you open your mouth, but do _not _call me _small_!"

Chas, as it was, likely hadn't heard him over the string of profanity coming out his mouth faster than Edward could register. He heard words he'd never heard before – even after hanging around Havoc when the man was denied a smoke break – and, from the look of the Colonel's face, a few words were new for him, too.

Whatever he did, the Colonel did not reprimand Ed for his outburst. Aside from his surprise at Chas' reaction, he didn't seem to acknowledge that it happened at all. The term _boiling point _seemed to almost take on a literal meaning then, and Ed could almost _feel _the anger bubbling up inside him. It was unlike the rush of battle or the desire to _win_ – while he was seemingly always irritated with something, true anger was an unwelcome rarity to him, and at that moment, for no reason that, logically, he could ever come to understand, he wanted to _kill _the Colonel.

He wouldn't expect it. He wasn't on his guard. All he'd have to do is clap, and before Roy Mustang could turn around, he'd be impaled on the blade of Edward's own arm.

He wanted to _kill _Mustang. For jerking him around. For treating the lives of people as if they were nothing but pawns… Abusing the loyalty of his comrades, of _Hughes, _and acting as though none of it were important. And now, this kid – who Ed knew to be a _murder_er, no matter how young he was – was on reasonably good _terms _with the Bastard.

A dark thought occurred to Edward. Maybe this wasn't a confrontation, but a planned _meeting _of the two. If he'd brought so many soldiers here so that he and this guy could… No! Dammit…

"Fullmetal! Kid! Dammit, what's wrong with you?" Ed stumbled back as soon as he realized he was being shaken. He growled and stepped back.

Roy sighed, looking utterly _defeated. _"Edward, listen."

His voice was the same authoritive, professional tone he expected from his commanding officer, but the use of his name both unsettled and comforted him.

"Fine," was his only answer. And as simply as that, the intensity of his anger seemed to simmer down – again, the feeling was almost literal – replaced with horror that, moments before, he'd contemplated _killing _Roy Mustang.

"I don't really know what's happening, either, but you're going to have to _trust me. _I don't have the time – nor the patience – to explain what's going on right now, but I will tell you everything – or as much as I can – as soon as possible. Until then, I need you to follow beside me as you normally would. I get the feeling we're about to face our culprit."

Edward seemed to nod of his own accord, despite every logical part of him screaming to say _no. _Dammit. What was _wrong _with him today…?

He was trusting the Colonel's good intentions. And he was trusting that he was telling the truth. He was putting his trust in a man he _hated _when everything about the situation said that he shouldn't.

It occurred to him then, the Colonel's last sentence. As urgent as it should have been, the realization that the kid they'd just fought wasn't the alchemic murderer they needed to take down wasn't high on his list of concerns. He was more concerned about the damn _bastard _than the current battle…!

"Gay," Chas grumbled.

A glare. "If you're done with the adolescent insults, kid, I believe you know a certain depraved alchemist we need to see."

" 'See?' Look, Colonel Douchebag. We're not looking for a fight… At least not from _you. _But judging from the battle going on outside, I guess you're not here to talk. Fine. Whatever."

The Colonel didn't respond, and instead grabbed Chas by the arm. "Take us there, or you're not going to be _able _to open your mouth for a while."

Chas shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. "Fine. Whole gang's here. Should be pretty cool."

With that, the three of them set foot, and Edward was left following the word of a man who he now felt he had no reason to trust. And, for the first time since he was summoned, Edward was _scared _for what consequences his choice could bring.


End file.
